Schwartz launches her 2014 bid for governor

PHOTOS: LEFT, J. ELBERSON PHOTOGRAPHY; RIGHT, ASSOCIATED PRESS Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies (left) may seek to fill the vacancy left in her old 13th Congressional District seat after Allyson Schwartz vacates the position during her bid, announced Monday, in the governor's race.

AS U.S. REP. Allyson Schwartz gears up for a 2014 gubernatorial campaign, a familiar name is talking about succeeding her in the 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Marjorie Margolies, a former television reporter who teaches at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, held that seat for one term, from 1993 to 1995.

She famously lost re-election after changing her 1993 vote on then-President Bill Clinton's budget, giving him a one-vote margin of victory that broke her promise not to support an increase in federal taxes.

There are no hard feelings, though, since they are now related by marriage - Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, is married to Margolies' son.

Schwartz, now in her fifth term, on Monday filed paperwork to create a state political-action committee for the 2014 Democratic-primary campaign for governor, effectively declaring her candidacy in the race to replace Gov. Corbett.

She immediately transferred $3.1 million to that account.

Three million of those dollars came from her federal political-action committee, a critical call for Schwartz's future, because federal and state campaign-finance laws make it easy to move that money to the new state PAC, but nearly impossible to send it back to her federal account.

Schwartz has said she will not run for another term in Congress while running for governor, attracting a line of would-be successors.

State Rep. Brendan Boyle of Northeast Philly on Monday became the fourth candidate to file for the Democratic primary to win nomination for the seat.

Boyle cited strong labor support, such as Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Boyle said he has not decided whether he will seek a fourth term in the state House while also running for the 13th District seat.

Boyle joins former City Controller Jonathan Saidel, state Sen. Daylin Leach of Montgomery County and Dr. Valerie Ann Arkoosh, a professor of clinical anesthesiology at the University of Pennsylvania medical school.

Margolies on Monday said "there isn't very much to say" about her plans. She confirmed that she has spoken with area Democratic Party leaders and elected officials, along with her family, but declined to discuss details of those conversations.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the Democratic Party chairman in Philadelphia, said Margolies called and "wanted me to know she's looking at" another run for Congress.

Brady is clearly leaning toward Saidel, describing him as "my dearest friend in the world." He predicted endorsing a Philadelphia candidate and hopes to work out some sort of compromise between Saidel and Boyle.

Saidel is chairman of the political-action committee Schwartz created Monday.

Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman Marcel Groen said Monday that "Marjorie and I speak all the time," but declined to discuss her interest in the 13th District, noting that Schwartz still holds that seat.